I have a report for a weeks time where I must come up with methodology for finding a way to determine whether the flavinoid Quercetin had any effect on the antibacterial activity of acidified nitrate on common gut pathogens. Ideas were either to design an experiment to see whether concentration of quercetin had any effect, or if the pH of the gut had any effect. MY PROBLEM IS that I can't seem to find a relevant experiment that would test this. Does anyone have any links to anywhere that will give an experiment or method?
Holly

Ah this answers my question on the other post!

You need to design an assay which measures antibacteral activity. Hmm will get back to you on that, just so you know I'm not a microbiologist I'm a biochemist but I will have a mull over it.

Right you could grow an E.coli lawn on LB plates then add the acidified nitrate soked on a small piece of filter paper. The aura that the disk cleared could be indicitive of the antibacterial effect.

Another idea would be to add the acidified nitrate to the LB medium and count the number of colonies that grew after 24hours.

This paper uses the colony denisty to measure antibacterial activity - a liquid medium could probably be better for changing pH and concentrations. Effect of Assay Medium on the Antibacterial Activity of Certain Penicillins and Cephalosporins (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=444357)

There's a starter for you, I don't think I can be of much more help but will be interested to hear how you get on :)

Im not actually sure how to reply to someone who has answered my question, as I've never used this before, so I hope you get this templelane! Thanks very much for helping out, your ideas have helped me kick start my report as I actually have somewhere to lead it now! (the colony density idea sounds like it could work quite well for both!) I will try to let you now how it goes, if I find out I DID know how to work this reply thing! Cheers again :D

Yay, that's good- hope it goes well!

PS you worked the reply thing right.